This invention relates to clamps, and more particularly clamps of a type employed to hold a plurality of elongated articles in spaced relation.
In a modern tractor-trailer hookup the tractor is not only connected mechanically to the trailer but also electrically and pneumatically. More well electrical wires or cables are provided to conduct electricity from the tractor to the trailer for a variety of purposes, including lighting the trailer; in addition, hoses or tubes associated with the pneumatic braking system of the trailer run between the tractor and the trailer. Generally, to keep these hoses, cables, tubes and wires from becoming entangled or damaged, they may be bundled together or held in a fixed relationship by various known clamping or retaining apparatus. Merely bundling of these articles together without maintaining them in a fixed relationship, however, may not prevent excessive relative motion between adjacent articles and the resulting frictional wear.
Employing clamps with fixed size wells or pockets to maintain the articles in a fixed relationship may be effective to prevent relative motion, but such clamps are not well adapted for use with various sizes of hoses, cables or wires. In addition, the need for employing a plurality of clamps to accommodate all of such hoses, wires and cables, and the possibility that each clamp may include a plurality of components may result in a great multiplicity of parts which may become disassociated, lost or broken.
It may frequently be desirable to hang such clamps, and the articles retained therein, between a tractor and trailer. Such clamps may be provided with a bail-like portion or the like to facilitate the hanging or suspension thereof. When a clamp is suspended from such a portion, the load of accommodated articles should be distributed along the clamp to prevent any resulting deformation of the clamp which would modify the article-carrying wells or recesses and thereby restrict the fluid-flow capabilities of certain accommodated articles. This is particularly true when the clamp is constructed of a flexible material and may be easily adapted to securely accommodate a variety of tube sizes.
Specifically, in the Klimek and Mastis patent application, Ser. No. 660,140, filed 2/23/76, (U.S. Pat. No. 4,024,604), of common assignee, only two-point clamp support through the strap ends thereof is relied upon, with the tubes retained in end wells being subjected to deformation as the clamp load increases. In addition, because the clamp is unsupported between the straps mounted on opposite ends thereof, the overlying strap portion could become separated from the underlying posts, leaving the articles accommodated in part by the posts, unsecured.*1 These disadvantages are overcome by the present invention,*2 FNT *1 further, positive retention of the cable accommodated in the central well is achieved only by securing the overlying straps in an abutting relation with the accommodated cable, FNT *2 wherein the upstanding posts are movable to a limited extent toward each other as the clamp is secured to thereby assure possitive retention of the article or articles accommodated therein.